Using his signature pale palette and sculptural furnishings, designer Darryl Carter creates a serene and sophisticated retreat for his parents within a glass tower in Bal Harbour

Using his signature pale palette and sculptural furnishings, designer Darryl Carter creates a serene and sophisticated retreat for his parents within a glass tower in Bal Harbour

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The living area of a Bal Harbour, Florida, condo designed by Darryl Carter features a custom-made sofa, an antique armchair, a mid-century iron sculpture, and a cocktail table by Brueton. A custom-made shelf holds a painting by Purvis Young and a sculpture by Claudio Barake, and the rug is from Stark. <i>Produced by Linda O'Keeffe; Photography by Moris Moreno</i>

Master Bathroom - Darryl Carter - Modern Condo Design

ELLE DECOR: What can you tell us about your clients and their Bal Harbour, Florida, condominium?

DARRYL CARTER: The clients are my parents. This is their second home, and I have to say they did a great job in selecting it, because when they bought it, the condo had not been built. It's on an upper floor and has high ceilings and huge window walls, which is exactly what you want in a place like this.

ED: How finished was the space when they took possession?

DC: It was pretty raw, except for a builder-grade galley kitchen that you would expect to find in a suburban tract house. The marble bathrooms were installed; the floors were concrete.

ED: Did you do much construction?

DC: Not really. It's a three-bedroom apartment, and I didn't alter much of the layout except for the kitchen. The wall where the cabinets and paneled appliances are now was a pass-through to the back hallway. We lost some open views from the kitchen, but my father loves to cook and this gives him a much better place to do it. And I changed the kitchen island, which jutted out at an angle and cut into the living and dining areas.

ED: What about the floors?

DC: They're stained white oak in a chevron pattern set at a 45-degree angle to the walls. In my mind they relate to the sandy beach outside. I was trying to create an interior architecture that basically disappeared, leaving the impression of floating space. It's very clean, so there is no crown molding and only minimal baseboards. Even the hinges on the kitchen cabinets are hidden. Everything is painted the same color, which is Bonifant White from my collection for Benjamin Moore.

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Dining Area

Carter designed the dining area's light fixture for the Urban Electric Co.; chairs from And Beige surround a midcentury table, the portrait is 19th-century Russian, and the walls and ceiling are painted in Carter's Bonifant White for Benjamin Moore.

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The kitchen cabinetry is by SieMatic, the counter-tops are quartz, and the sink fitting is by C-Tech-I. <i>Produced by Linda O'Keeffe; Photography by Moris Moreno</i>

Kitchen

ED: Why did you decide to go without window treatments?

DC: There are shades that cover the bedroom windows, but they're recessed when not in use, so you can't see them. If you are sitting down at the pool, you can look up and see that some of the other homeowners in the building have dripped swags and jabots over their terrace doors. To me that's just not what the architecture demands.

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A bed from Suite New York and a 1970s Italian chair in the master bedroom; the bedside table and lamp are antique, and Carter designed the wall treatment of furring strips. <i>Produced by Linda O'Keeffe; Photography by Moris Moreno</i>

Bedroom

ED: What were the first furniture choices you made?

DC: In the living area, it was the sofa. My father said he wanted an L-shaped sofa and a television, and that was the bottom line. In a way, the best kind of client is that specific. I designed the sofa myself so it would be just the right scale and proportion and not limit the ocean view when you enter the room.

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Photography by Moris Moreno

Closet

ED: And then you set out to create the mix, which is very important to you, right?

DC: Yes — in fact, I have a new book out called The Collected Home [Clarkson Potter], which is all about creating the look that you have accumulated your furnishings over a lifetime rather than gone out on a single shopping expedition. And the rooms, of course, should be about the people who live in them. I always like to mix old and new things, light and dark, linear and organic lines. That velvet chair in the living room is not what you'd expect in a 21st-century Florida condo.

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The footstool in the master bath is antique, and the tub's backsplash and surround are marble. <i>Produced by Linda O'Keeffe; Photography by Moris Moreno</i>

What the Pros Know

• Darryl Carter is always looking for unorthodox ways to display art. "Art is supposed to hang at eye level," says the designer, "and that's how I hang it — at eye level when you're sitting down."

• Carter prefers antique bedside tables: "Most new ones aren't big enough; you need room to pile up books." For the master bedroom, he used an English drop-leaf table on one side and a pedestal — leg drum table on the other.

• Play up contrast. Known for creating white environments, Carter likes to add black accents, different woods, and metallics: "Something small next to something big increases the visual impact of each."

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